Synapse 2013 Vol. 1 - The Chester County Hospital

TrueBeamBringingto the community...Leading-edgetechnology of the futureThe scene looks futuristic, like something bornin the imagination of a science-fiction writer. A cancerpatient lies still on a radiation treatment couch, as whatlooks like space-age machinery starts circling aroundthem to deliver precise radiation treatment with a remarkablelevel of control and synchronization. The couch alsomoves to reposition the patient as needed. Called True-Beam, this advanced cancer treatment technology representsa quantum leap forward in the speed, accuracy andsafety of radiation therapy.The TrueBeam system makes it possible to aggressively,accurately and safely attack tumors in the lung, breast,prostate, reproductive organs, head, neck, brain and elsewherewith greater precision and in far less time than earliergenerations of radiation delivery systems. Previous and manycurrent models rely much more on human intervention andmanual control, whereas the TrueBeam has built-in capabilitiesthat enable it to automatically and specifically targetand destroy tumors with maximum doses of radiation whileprotecting surrounding healthy tissue.The Chester County Hospital and Health System recentlypurchased a new TrueBeam linear accelerator for its RadiationOncology program, bringing the highest level of cancercare to the community. The TrueBeam can deliver variousforms of radiation therapy; including image-guided radiotherapy(IGRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) andVolumetric Modulated-beam Therapy (VMAT) like RapidArc®radiotherapy. The TrueBeam at Chester County will additionallyfeature a fast Gated RapidArc® – allowing it to deliver sophisticatedand complex treatments accounting for patientrespiratory movements.According to Medical Physicist Andre Kalend, PhD, theTrueBeam far surpasses its predecessors with its onboarddigital ability to synchronize all the different componentsinvolved in radiation therapy – including imaging,treatment delivery as well aspatient positioning, and breathing and motion detection.“TrueBeam is much more than cutting-edge technology;it is the leading edge of radiation therapy. It goes beyondwhat is considered state-of-the-art today. Having theTrueBeam means we have secured the state-of-the-artradiotherapy technology of the future,” said Dr. Kalend.“Radiation Oncology is complex technology-driven medicine.With this purchase, The Chester County Hospital ispoised to stay ahead of the innovation curve of radiationoncology in the region.”Indeed, the level of precision with which the TrueBeamdelivers radiation treatment is unprecedented. The systemis able to target cancers with sub-millimeter exactness as itcontinually monitors more than 100,000 points of patientlive images and data. Another key to the system’s pinpointaccuracy is that it includes sophisticated user-friendly imagingtools that physicians and therapists can use to generatevarious anatomical views 60% faster than previous accelerators.These advances also reduce overall imaging radiationexposure by 25% and offer greater patient comfort by shorteningtheir treatment duration on the delivery couch. Typicalirradiation duration that took 10 to 15 minutes takes a mere1 to 2 minutes on TrueBeam.According to Radiation Oncologist Ann Marie Siegal, MD,the increased precision of the TrueBeam has significantlyfine-tuned an often-challenging treatment delivery process.Many tumors are located in places that are affected by the12synapse